Jake Quickenden thinks the audience got the wrong end of the stick with his and Jimmy Bullard’s banter.
The pair were seen teasing each other while appearing on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’, with viewers suggesting Jimmy was being particularly harsh.
However, Jake has now assured fans the comments were all made in jest and they were just joking around with each other, like they would with their own mates who they play sport with.
When asked if he thought the audience had misunderstood their friendship, he said: "I really do think that [the public got the wrong end of the stick] because that’s what me and Jim were like.
"We just took the mick out of each other the whole time and he’s obviously grown up playing football and in the changing rooms you have to because if you don’t, you get targeted, and I’ve been raised with football and stuff like that as well."
The 26-year-old former ‘X Factor’ contestant – who finished second in the series when it culminated on Sunday (07.12.14) – insisted he certainly wasn’t being bullied by the former footballer and said the teasing was not one-sided.
He continued: "We were always singing together, and he was always complimenting, and I was saying some pretty harsh things to him and messing around as well and it was fine.
"He’s not a bully at all. Obviously it just come across a bit worse than what it was."
The star also expressed his disbelief over appearing in the reality programme in the first place, but admitted he felt comforted by fellow campers Jimmy and Mel Sykes when he arrived in the Australian jungle.
Speaking to ITV’s ‘This Morning’, he added: "I was just getting my head around just getting out of ‘X Factor’ and then I was on a plane to Oz thinking ‘what a touch I’ve had!’ and thinking ‘this is awesome’ … I couldn’t believe my luck!
"I was worried that everyone would think I was someone from the crew bringing them some water or something! But Jimmy put his arm straight round me and Mel saying they loved me off the ‘X Factor’… so straight away that put me at ease."
Jake Quickenden defends Jimmy Bullard’s banter on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
